Watch out for trans fat

Manmade trans fats are created when manufacturers add hydrogen to vegetable oil – a process called hydrogenation. Trans fats increase the shelf life of foods, but are more harmful to your lipid levels than saturated fats. It’s important to keep trans fats to less than 1 percent of total calories (under 2 grams if you’re eating 2,000 calories per day) because these fats not only raise LDL cholesterol but also lower HDL cholesterol. Many experts say there is no safe level and recommend avoiding trans fats entirely.

Most of the trans fats in the American diet are found in commercially prepared baked goods, margarines, snack foods, processed foods and commercially prepared fried foods.